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Environmental Science

The Isle of Arran is nature’s ultimate classroom – an extraordinary setting to explore and understand environmental science in action.

With its incredible variety of ecosystems, including ancient woodlands, heathlands, peat bogs, freshwater lochs, estuaries, and dynamic coastal and marine environments, Arran offers an ideal landscape for developing key environmental science fieldwork skills.

Being on the frontline of climate change, where rising sea levels threaten our coastal communities, Arran also serves as a real-world case study in sustainability, renewable energy innovation, and community-led environmental action. Our field studies integrate these critical themes, giving students the opportunity to investigate, experience, and understand the challenges and solutions that define environmental science today.

“Practical and interactive learning – a chance to apply our study results to real life projects, like hydroelectric power” Glasgow Caledonian University

Engaging Fieldwork From Land to Sea

On Land:

  • Compare diverse habitats including saltmarshes, heathlands, woodlands and grasslands, investigating different sampling methodologies.
  • Study ecological succession on a hydrosere, exploring the stages of plant and habitat development in freshwater environments.
  • Assess water quality in mountain streams using kick sampling to study freshwater invertebrates, key indicator species of ecosystem health.
  • Investigate carbon sequestration by measuring the carbon content of trees and understanding the vital role of peatlands.

 

 

On the Coast:

  • Conduct marine zonation studies (under the watchful eye of our resident seal colony!) to examine how seaweed and other keystone species are distributed along Arran’s rocky coast.
  • Enhance your experience with a trip on COAST’s Explorer boat, where students can witness firsthand the success of Arran’s pioneering Marine Protected Area (MPA), (and Scotland’s first ever No Take Zone) and its impact on marine biodiversity.